A review of the pharmacological effects of the dried root of Polygonum cuspidatum (Hu Zhang) and its constituents

Huan Zhang, Chang Li, Sin Tung Kwok, Qing Wen Zhang, Shun Wan Chan

Research output: Journal article publicationReview articleAcademic researchpeer-review

97 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used in China for thousands of years to treat and prevent diseases. TCM has been proven safe and effective, and it is being considered as one of the important types of complementary and alternative medicine and receives increasing attention worldwide. The dried root of Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc. (also known as "Hu Zhang" in Chinese) is one of the medicinal herbs listed in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China. Hu Zhang is widely distributed in the world. It can be found in Asia and North America and is used as folk medicine in countries such as Japan and Korea. In China, Hu Zhang is usually used in combination with other TCM herbs. The therapeutic uses of those Hu Zhang-containing TCM prescriptions or formulations are for treating cough, hepatitis, jaundice, amenorrhea, leucorrhea, arthralgia, burns and snake bites. Recent pharmacological and clinical studies have indicated that Hu Zhang has antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and cardioprotective functions. This review gives a summary of the reported therapeutic effects of the active compounds and the different extracts of Hu Zhang.

Original languageEnglish
Article number208349
JournalEvidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Volume2013
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2013

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Complementary and alternative medicine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A review of the pharmacological effects of the dried root of Polygonum cuspidatum (Hu Zhang) and its constituents'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this